White males make up bulk of decline in law students, analysis says

Law school enrollments dropped by more than 8,600 students between 2010 and 2012, and the bulk of the decline is due to fewer white males, according to a new analysis.

According to the Am Law Daily, 8,651 fewer students were enrolled in law schools between 2010 and 2012. There were 4,443 fewer white males and 3,828 fewer white females. But there were 666 more minority females and 181 more minority males. (There were also declines in students whose ethnicity was unknown and increases in students classified as nonresident aliens.)

The decline in white enrollment was more pronounced at lower-ranked schools, the article says. “It appears that the most prestigious law schools are enrolling slightly higher proportions of white students,” the story says, “while less prestigious schools are becoming much more diverse.”